The Famous Boston Attraction You Can Skip

For our August issue, Julia Reed reported on Boston's up-and-coming restaurant scene—but some of the city's most classic sites should still be on your itinerary. Here's what to do in Boston…and one very famous attraction you can skip.

For our August issue, Julia Reed reported on Boston's up-and-coming restaurant scene—but some of the city's most classic sites should still be on your itinerary. Here are five places to visit…and one very famous attraction you can skip.

The Public Garden

Yes, it’s one of the city’s most famous sights, but also the loveliest—and worth a long linger. There are more than eighty plant species and dozens of exotic trees (including Belgian elms, tea crabs, and Kwanzan cherries), and the elegant, pedal-powered swan boats that ply the lagoon are local treasures.

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

The iconoclastic Gardner modeled the museum after a fifteenth-century palazzo and stuffed it with more than 2,500 pieces of art and objects. A new wing by Renzo Piano was added in January 2012. The delightful Gift at the Gardner, one of the country’s best museum shops, is filled with gorgeous art books, swell jewelry, and all manner of whimsical bits and bobs (617-566-1401).

The South End

The largest intact Victorian neighborhood in the country is one of my favorite places to wander, owing to the joyful street life, eleven beautifully maintained residential squares, excellent restaurants, and clusters of galleries in the district called SoWa.

Trinity Church

Henry Hobson Richardson’s 1877 architectural jewel was a game-changing departure from the austere Puritan churches that had previously dominated Boston. Consistently listed by the American Institute of Architects as one of the most architecturally significant buildings in the United States, it also has colorful interiors by John LaFarge, among others.

Louisburg Square

I love this architectural gem hidden on Beacon Hill that’s home to some of the city’s handsomest town houses, including the one belonging to Teresa Heinz and John Kerry—you’ll know it by the enormous American flag out front.

…and what to skip

The Freedom Trail, while a potentially useful path to the city’s most important historic sights (just follow the red line!), is also an invitation to get in line and follow the crowds around town. Much better to amble the city’s maze of streets and discover things at your own pace—there’s a lot to find that’s not on the official trail, anyway.